McCracken Junior High School Spartanburg, SC

Developing Metacognitive Reading Strategies Cal Cannon, Principal Jana White, Language Arts

METACOGNITION: *KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW* *KNOWING WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW* *KNOWING HOW TO KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW*

You could also think of Metacognition as: LINGERING OVER YOUR LEARNING

Metacognition is just a fancy word for becoming aware of the methods you use to understand what you are reading. There are many things you do automatically without even thinking about them. If you are not using any of the strategies we are about to learn, you need to adopt them for yourself. You need to become aware of the strategies available to help you understand what you’re reading and use them whenever you read.

Before you even start to read… PREDICT READ THE TITLE LOOK AT ALL PICTURES OR GRAPHS READ THE CAPTIONS THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK THE TEXT WILL BE ABOUT Whether you are reading a novel, story, or a textbook, the author often gives you hints about what you are about to read. Use the title, any pictures or illustrations, graphs, captions under the pictures, or anything else including an excerpt from the back of the book or an outline at the beginning of the chapter to help you predict what the text you are about to read will be about. Be sure to think about what you already know about whatever it is you are reading.

As you begin to read, make sure you are not just reading words. You should see a picture of what you are reading in your head. As soon as you realize what you are reading is not making sense, start using one or more of the fix-up strategies

SLOW DOWN Change your reading rate according to the type of text. Change your reading rate according to your purpose for reading. If you are reading something for pleasure, you will probably read it faster than you would read a textbook. Most people would read a physics book more slowly than they would a note from a friend. Think about what you are expected to know when you have finished reading and adjust your reading speed accordingly.

CONTINUE READING See if the author explains what you don’t understand in the next sentence or two. Look for synonyms, definitions, examples, or other context clues. Sometimes an author explains a new word or concept by giving a definition, a synonym or antonym (opposite), or giving an example. There are many ways authors provide context clues to help you understand. Look for them and use them.

RE-READ Sometimes a sentence, paragraph, or even a whole page makes more sense the second or third time you read it! When you are reading silently, you can re-read a sentence, paragraph, or page as often as necessary and no one will know.

USE GRAPHIC AIDS Maps Charts Graphs Pictures (illustrations) Captions Any other aids provided by the text

USE THE GLOSSARY OR DICTIONARY The glossary will define content-related terms used in that text. A dictionary will help you with any unknown words.

COMPARE Think of something you have read about or experienced before. When you are reading anything, you can only build on your own personal knowledge or experience. You have to start with something you know to learn something you don’t know. This is like…

VISUALIZE Try to picture what you are reading in your mind’s eye. Create your own personal video of what you are reading. You should see the characters on your mind screen or see whatever the author is describing.

SKIP IT Skip over the part you don’t understand and see if it makes sense later. Don’t forget to come back to it later. It may amaze you to know that you don’t have to be able to understand every word to be able to understand what your are reading. You may actually learn something in the paragraphs that follow that will help you understand what was unclear earlier.

DRAW IT Make a drawing or diagram of what the text is describing.

ASK ANOTHER STUDENT Sometimes talking it out straightens it out.

FINALLY: ASK YOUR TEACHER OR ANOTHER ADULT Students often ask their teacher when another student may actually understand a student’s question and be able to answer it even better than the teacher can!

THERE ARE WAYS TO READ AND UNDERSTAND DIFFICULT TEXT. How many can you remember?

Predict Slow down Continue reading Re-read Use graphic aids Use the glossary or a dictionary Compare with what you already know Visualize Skip it Draw it Ask another student Finally…last but not least… Ask your teacher or another adult.